


Legal Discrimination

by WhyYesIamBlonde



Series: Slavery Universe [17]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Slavery, Discrimination, Natasha is there but doesn't say anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-19
Updated: 2013-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-27 00:14:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/971983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhyYesIamBlonde/pseuds/WhyYesIamBlonde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You cannot discriminate against anyone based on their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or sexual preference. Clint has another problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Legal Discrimination

The team was overjoyed. Not only was the giant lizard thing quickly controlled but there was zero, count it zero damage to the city. That was a rare enough occurance to warrant Tony dishing out for a really expensive restaurant. The team went home and cleaned up before getting into the limo and going downtown to try out a new french restaurant that just opened up. 

As they got there, the Maitre de happily greeted them and directed them to their seats. When everyone else had passed Clint tried to follow but he found a hand on his chest. 

“I am sorry but slaves are not allowed within our establishment.” The man looked anything but apologetic as he tilted his chin so that he could actually look down at Clint's collar.

“What?” Clint opened his mouth dumbfounded.

“We run a clean restaurant and don't need convicts distracting from the rest of our customers.”

“Now hold on a minute...” Steve was getting angry for Clint but he merely shook his head. This was not the first place he had been thrown out of. There was protection for everyone else but who would bother passing a law to protect slaves against discrimination?

Tony got right up in the maitre de’s face. “Do you know who I am?” he asked.

“Yes, Mr. Stark. And do you know who I am?” The man calmly replied.

“Some jerk?”

“I am the one given a job to do. I always do my best with whatever task I have been given even if it means upsetting people I would otherwise look up to. Now, if you would excuse me, I cannot allow this slave to further enter our building as per company protocol.”

Everyone left upset. Tony grabbed a few small bottles from the minibar in the limo and yelled at Happy to take them home and order Chinese.

“What gives him the right!” yelled Tony.

“The law,” answered Phil calmly. The others looked at him questioningly. “Not a single politician would ever take the side of a murderer or rapist. I’m sorry but slave status is always going to be discriminated against.”

“But he’s a hero!” said Steve.

“And a murderer,” Clint said before he downed a small bottle of whiskey.

“You aren’t...” Bruce started to say.

“I am. Did you honestly think that Phil didn't try to free me? Did you think I was still a slave for fun and games? The number of kills I had before joining a government sanctioned agency was too high. I am on the permanent slave registry. Most people on that registry don’t deserve to be treated to nice restaurants. Most of them are sold as physical laborers for a reason.”

“But you did those things as a slave,” Steve said.

“And that matters why? I did them. I, a thinking human being, didn't say no to learning how to kill because it gave me a short time off from another job. Was their lives really worth that?”

“But you have more than redeemed yourself,” started Tony.

“Have I?” Clint asked. “Most of the people I killed were bad people but not everyone. How redeemed to you feel? Even if you remove every Stark weapon on the planet, will that actually help you sleep at night?”

Tony got really quiet. The rest of the group sat there with their own thoughts until they came home. No one really felt like eating anymore and went their separate ways.

Clint and Phil went up to their room and just sat on the couch and looked at each other for a while.

“You know what Tony’s going to do,” Clint said.

“Yep, buy the building and eject the restaurant.” Phil tried a smile but it only came out partway.

“That isn’t going to work. He can’t take over every place on the planet that says that I can’t enter.”

“I know that, you know that but we’ll see how long it takes him to know that.”

Clint sighed. He laid his head down on Phil’s lap and let the older man pet his hair while watching reruns of a show about alligator hunters until they both fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Tony, Clint and Phil know what happened when Clint did say no to killing a mark but they also know that being beaten for saying no doesn't alleviate the guilt for when he said yes.


End file.
